THE NIGHT ETHAN COLE FINALLY FELT AT HOME
Chapter 11
When the festival finally ended, Ethan stayed behind to help clean.
Tables were folded.
Trash was collected.
Lanterns were taken down.
The harbor slowly returned to normal.
The sky began turning pale.
Ethan carried the last box toward the community center.
Walter followed.
“You don’t have to stay.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you?”
Ethan smiled.
“Because I live here.”
Walter stopped walking.
Ethan kept going.
A few seconds later, Walter caught up.
“You said it.”
“What?”
“I live here.”
Ethan looked at him.
Walter smiled.
“You really are one of us now.”
Ethan laughed.
“Don’t make it weird.”
“Too late.”
They finished cleaning just as the first sunlight appeared over the ocean.
The town was quiet.
Almost peaceful.
Ethan stood at the edge of the harbor.
He watched the sunrise.
For years, he had been afraid of beginnings because every beginning eventually led to another goodbye.
But this felt different.
This wasn’t a beginning.
It was continuation.
He wasn’t starting over anymore.
He was building.
